bike recommendations appreciated

[yanskasso]

Hey all,

Ok the bike saga and pain saga continues.

I did finally find a shop in LA with the Specialized bikes in stock in my size. Gonna check it out this weekend.

Re: the pain issues and all of your suggestions... I haven't ridden for a long time due to some health issues but I decided it was time to start again this morning.

I tried out some new form stuff that you recommended to me based on the pains I have from cycling (numb hands, knife between shoulder syndrome, numb feet).

I rode (the mountain bike) with my arms bent more then I usually do and I didn't use the extension bars so my hands were never wider then my shoulders per recommendations.

This of course made my back more hunched over which I thought would be a pain issue but now I'm not so sure. Maybe it's actually better.

It switched the stress points (or so it felt) from my lower arms and shoulders to my upper arms and lower back

It kind of hurt my biceps but that's a muscle that can get stronger and if it relieves my upper back that's a good thing.

The thing I noticed though is riding like this puts me in the road bike position meaning the mountain bike is hard to ride and I want the drop bars on a road bike. I was wondering if once I tested a road bike if I would see that I can't ride that low due to back pain but now I see it may be better for the ol' body.

When I was riding lower my hands fell in the angle of road bars so the mountain bike straight bars made me twist my hands into an unnatural position which put strain on them making them numb (they already are from computer use but it makes it worse). So again road bike looks like it may be good.

The other thing I noticed (and it was only a 55 min. ride so I could be wrong) is that my legs felt more powerful in this position so my average speed came in a whole mile per hour faster then it usually does when I first start back riding (and I wasn't trying to go faster).

The downside to it was it was harder to watch parked cars that had a driver in them ready to open a door or pull out into traffic.

I also rode in my new Merrill hiking boots. I have cycling shoes but when I ride in them my feet go numb. In the past when I rode in hiking boots my feet did not go numb so I thought it had something to do with the ankle height. But this am in my new Merrill's my feet went numb so I now know it has more to do with either the shoe itself of my back (bot not the ankel height). This is a good discovery becuase now I will try another cycling shoe.

I'm glad I tested this all out before I start test rode bikes because I can try other positions.

The other thing is I weighed my mountain bike. With one water bottle and the rack, bag, etc. it weighs 35 pounds. The road bikes I'm looking at are about 23 to 25 with nothing on them. So that will shave 10 pounds off which is significant - - especially for carrying the bike upstairs when I'm done. I could find one that shaved off 15 I'm sure but it's not worth the extra money.

Anyhow I'll see how my low back feels tomorrow but I now know why Lance's arms are so big. I always wondered. But if you cycle in the correct position you actually use your biceps. Who knew!!!

By the way.... have any of you been watching OLN. Some good stuff. This weekend is a marathon of The Lance Armstrong Chronicles. They also have a special about his 5 wins which has some good cycling footage in it. Plus I like the way it ends. He says that when he is no longer a racer and no one wants to talk to him anymore he will be a father and a cancer survivor and that's just the way he wants it.

Interestingly... I was at a bike shop the other day and there was a picture of Lance on the counter and I asked the owner if he thought Lance was going to do it again. He had the gall to say to me (a female customer who was looking to buy a $1700 bike) "ask Sheryl.... women always ruin men." (referring to Lance's girlfriend Sheryl Crow for any of those not in the know).

Well needless to say I left the shop.

I guess he doesn't value my money as much as a mans. Oh well!!!

quote: "Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever" Lance Armstrong

[bounceswoosh]

Ideally, you should be using your "core" muscles (the center of your body) to hold yourself up, not your arms. If you use your arms, your hands will go numb. I've been working on this, but it's hard, especially when you don't have strong muscles in that area in the first place!

[Trek420]

Dogmama wrote.."I ride a steel bike & I love it. It is custom, so the fit is perfect BUT I find that the road feel is superior, the cornering is more precise and it will bend before it breaks. The new steel is lightweight and responsive. I haven't heard that steel is out of fashion."

me too, me too! steel is real. People are shocked when they lift my bike and then find out it's steel, it's so light. But then when I heft 150+ lbs of me on top of it...I figure i can't be a real gram counter till i can't take 20% of the weight off the rider.

On the AIDS ride i was shocked to look at the speed I had cornering and downhills, it was so precise I thought I was going much slower (woah there nelly!). Nothing rides like custom fit steel.

Back to the weight, I read somewhere that the frame is less than a fifth the weight of the bike so take a well made steel frame with top components you have a very light ride.

Components - I ride Record but used to ride Ultegra. both have their good points. I miss my flightdeck which is not compatible with Campy. I have very small hands even for 5'1" and no problems with the Campy. My hands did get tired on loooong downhills but that's conditioning I gotta do.

[yanskasso]

Hey all,

Thanks for your advice. I did it. I bought the the Specialized Sequoia Comp. It's really pretty and a nice ride (although to tell you the truth I think everything in that class is this one was just calling my name).


Still working on that riding form stuff. I find it very difficult to ride without holding my body up with my arms as some of you recommended. It puts my back in the weirdest position.

I have no idea if the bike fits or not. I spent hours with the gang at the bike store and my head is about to explode. Bottom line I think is if it feels right it is right. I think it fits way better then the bike I was riding but we shall see when I take it out for a longer spin this weekend. I may need to swap out the stem. We shall see.

Oh God I hope I don't have buyers remorse already. I guess just nerves of sliding the old bank card through. The guy at the store did say that if I changed my mind within a week he would take it back so that's cool.

I also bought some new shoes which may help my numb feet problem. I've only cycled in them on my trainer because I don't want to take them outdoors in case I don't keep them. They are a nice expensive pair of Simi's (I think tha't the name). I tried on several pairs and made the mistake of trying on these really nice ones. No turning back. Gulp.

So I am now going to transition from a mountain bike rider to a road bike rider. Hopefully I won't fall over. I can't for the life of me get my feet out of the clips easily yet. I'm pretty good at getting them in. Not clipping in on the road for a while - - that's for sure.

OK again thanks for all your advice.

I'm going to go look at my pretty new bike now. Would it be weird to sleep with it on it's first night home?

[massbikebabe]

Sweet!!!!

Ride in good health and enjoyment


karen
overly anxious for the tour, man I need a job!

[bassoonbiker]

Check out the Giant OCR bikes. They are much easier to dial in for fitting.

I also have hand injuries (professional musician) and had problems with numbness on my comfort bike. After I rode my new OCR2 for a few days, I had pain in my back and hands. Took it back to the shop. They raised the bars and brought the levers up and closer. Also rewrapped the bar with thick cork tape on the bottom layer. They are holding foam to put on the bottom if the grip still hurts me. I have arthritis in my neck and tailbone - big time (I live on Vioxx). I am not having any problems after the changes were made at the shop. Oh, I forgot, they also put on a narrow handlebar and female specific seat at the time of purchase.

I looked at alot of other road bikes before I bought the OCR2. None of them were as comfortable as the Giant. I'm not having problems with pain in the back, hands or arms since the adjustments.

Important info that was offered earlier: stem height needs to be adjusted; width of the handlebars (they should not be much wider than your shoulders) and position of the levers (so that you are not over-reaching) must be considered. Good luck!

[watchmenext]

I'm new to road bikes (using an oooold borrowed one at the moment), but I'm looking into buying a used bike. Does anyone have any information on a Cannondale Saeco R1000 (new in 2000) or the Trek 2000 Road bike (new in 1999). Also, I have NO idea about frame sizes! I'm 5'2" -- the Trek frame size is 52 and the Cannondale is 54 (the guy on the phone said inches, but I know that can't be right!). I haven't seen either of these yet, but I want to find out more info before I decide if I want to make the ride out there to give them a test.

[emily_in_nc]

watchmenext,

Those frames are going to be wayyyyyy too big for you! I wouldn't even ride them if I were you. They are sized in centimeters by the way. That is the seat tube length, and usually the top tube is a similar length or even a bit longer than the seat tube.

I am 5'2" also and ride a 46 cm Aegis Swift and could have gone with a 44 cm - the 46 is just on the edge of what I could stand over. But it's more than that - it's reach to the handlebars too. I need a top tube around 19" long, which is quite short.

With a frame sized 50cm or more, you would have to use an incredibly short stem to be able to reach the brake levers and would be sacrificing bike handling by using that short a stem. Just FYI, my husband is 5'10" and rides a 54 cm frame! Most 5'2" women ride a 48 cm or less (like me). Unless your arms and torso are really long in comparison to your leg, those bikes are NOT going to fit you. At your height you will likely fit much better on a WSD (womens specific design) frame. I rode a Trek WSD in a 47 cm and found it still just a bit long for me in the top tube. I think a Trek WSD in 44 cm would be right for me.

Good luck!

Emily

[bal]

I highly recommend Dr. Sarno's book "Healing Back Pain" and "The Mind/Body Prescription". If you are open-minded to Sarno's concepts, you will probably be able to alleviate your hand pains and numbness in a very short time period. It's worth the $26.00 to check out the 2 books, read them all the way through, and practise what he teaches.